Signaling device



:men-lee eef. v12e-32 .confirme 1J. :rn-american, or harmonie,

' siehe-LING :omnes This invention relates to improvements in signalino' devices forgiving a sign-al as to the condition of a liquidileveh'and particularly to such a signaling device suitable for use with tanks, storage batteries, or the like, to allow an observer to seewhether or' not the fluid or battery .solution is up to the proper level or not;

The object of the invention is to providev 1o such e signaling device in a simple and de. pendahle forni which vvill not require `any moving parts.

The invention will first, he described in connection with the accompanying drawing, and

theninore particularly pointed out.- y

Figure 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 .a section of thev same on the line 2o 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 a top plan of the device;

Figure a botto-m plan of-'the same?" Figure 5 a detail vi'evv of' another ein'hodi` rnent'of the invention; and

Figure '6 isa detail perspective view of a furthe-r modification'.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing, A is a Bushing arranged to hescrewed into an opening in a container B, in-t-hisease shown e as' part of astorage battery box. The opening may be the normal filling opening. The bushing holds lightlrnnsnaitting .device C which, `in the present example, is a. rod of transparent material,'snch as glass, Celluloid,

3.5 bakehte, or quartz. The lower end of the light-transmitting device C is formed as a total reflecting prism, having -the refracting surfaces c, c so arranged that lightl traveling lengthwise -of the light-transmitting device 40 will encounter one of said surfaces and he reracted4 to the other, if the said reracting surfaces are not in .contact with liquid, but.

will not beso refracted if said surfaces are in contact with liquid. The upper end of the 5 light-transmitting device is formed as a lightcollecting and concentrating surface, for eX- ainple, a generally spheroidal or convex surface, as indica-ted at 'ci'. The length of the light-transmitting device is such-that the sur- '5 faces c, v01, will nohhe lower than the mini- .mum level of liquid permissible in the box,

so as Vtogive a; signal as to the absence of the liquid at'such leve In the; present. embodiment' of the inven- `iii-on, there is a color filter between the tivo represenoe or fractin g surfaces, c, c1, so that light-refracted from one surface to the other must passthis color ilter. y In this example the color filter is a sheet of colored transparent material, such, for example'as colored glass c3,lwh1ch may 'oe inserted in a slot-:cut in the glass, or i other material, of the ligl'it-transmitt-ing body, or may be fused or cast with said body inthe process of manufacture, when the material of said body is Afusible.

The operation of the device thus far described is asollows: t

Light from any source, such as sunlight,

or artificial light, falling on the generally convex upper surface c2 is collected, con, centratcd and directed downward and passes dovvn in a gene-rally vertical direction through lthe light-transmitting body. The light falling on surface c isrefrac'ted by that surlface through ,the color iilter to surface c1L and from Athere is refractedupward to .the convex upper end where it is diffused and appearsfto the eye of an observer as colored light thereby giving a signal warning of the .a sence 'of liquid at the minimum level. :So also the light traveling-downward to sur face c1 is refrncted through the color filter to surface c and then is sent upwardas colored light to the convex upper 'surface c.

Hence, the convex surface will show, to the observer, a colored 'signall light of the color determined by the color lilter c. That is to say, if the latter is, say, red glass, the

lthe immersion in the liquid of the total refractng'prism .having the surfaces c and c,

` the. prism no longer acts as "a total refracting prism. In this condition,nolcolored-light appears. at the-upper surface. Then tlie ob serv-er knows that the liquid in the container is not below the level predetermined by the location of the prism surfaces'. A

The lighbtransmittilng body C may be secured in the bushing A in any suitable way.

In the present example, saidbody is rovided with an V'enlarged upper end wiich fits into a counterbore in the bushing B, the shoulder of the body C being indicated at c. The bod C may be locked in place in the 'bushing y a spring- 'Washer D which' i5 snapped into grooves in the body C and' bushing B as-Will be clear from the drawing. i.

Where it is desired to provide a gas-vent throughV the device described, suitable channels may be provided in the li-glit.-tr-ansmit ting body, as indicated at c5 and the spring washer D may be provided Witli'notclies as indicated at d, the latter not being in alignment with the channelsfc, whereby the danger of lluid loss during the venting of the gas is eliminated or largely reduced'.

`While the upper surface of the light transmitting body is advantageously formed as'` a body of revolution, for .examplef paraboidal, or spheroidal, it may be a 'substantially polyhedral surface, that isf f2 l recogen ,l-'quidl level has 'fallen beloivithe level prev-l determined liv' the location of the -lowerendof the .lightftran'smi'tt-ing body in the con tainel'..

,ln-Figure 6; is shoivn another embodiment 7 of the invention in `which the lower end of the light-trans.nit ting body is coned and has a cylindrical plug' :v of 'colored transparent material, such as colored glass, vlocated at the i central axis of the coned portion'. The slope 75 of the cone is such that llight will be refrac-ted through the central color filter, when the Asurface of the conc is not immersed in liquid, and 'will -then be retracted .to the convex surface. When the--coned surface is im- 3 mersed in the liquid, the light will pass into the liquid, and hence will' not return to the said convex surf ace, which will remain dark.

What I claim is: 1

l. In a. signaling device 'of the cla-ss de- 35 scribed, the combination, with means' for transinittin lifvht in a' direction transverse to the liquid. level, of a prisml havingreflecting surfaces arranged to be 'Wetted'by the liquid upon the arrival of the liquid level at '901,

a predetermined height, each reflecting' suriace being arranged toreceive rays ofliglit reflected from the. other reflecting surface, said prism also having a color i-lterthrough 'which will pass the the l1 gilt-transmitting iii-eens and to returnit to say, it may be formed" withpasplufitliertovhinotvetted bythe liquid.'

`rality of facet-s, the essential feature being that it is larger in dis-meter than the body C in order that it will collect a. large amount of lig-lit and conce'ntratefit in the body CQ One forin of a-device having .such a polyhedral surface is' shown, in Figurese and 5. In'this example theupper end of the lightl'transmittin'g' body is pyramidal. In all cases the purpose is to provide an upper surface for the said body C Such that light comin-g frorn variousd-irections to said surface will be collected; con centrated and `refracted in a i downward direction to the' prism, While ligl'it coming-in an upward direction from the prism will be reracted i-n a plurality .of directions by the upper end of thev said bodyvC,` so that it may be seen readily by the observer from various positions of the lobserver, thereby avoiding the disadvantage which would exist if the returning light were visible only when the eye of the observer is in one pre-determined position relative to the upper end of the said body C.

While lthe invention is particularly adapt- Ied for use with storage batteries, and asl shown, 'serves as a closure'ortlie filling opening as' v'Well as a gage to indicate'wlien the storage battery requires the addition of water to the solution, it will'he understood that the gage 4may also -b'e employed with other contai-ners of liquid to vgive .a 'signal when the 2. A device for use in giving a, signal'zls 1m to the condition of a liquid .level eompring :in elongated light-transinitting lbod of transparent material having one en surv ranged to be located in the path of the liquid whose level is to be determined, said end m5 ing -'formedwithsloping surfaces at vsuch en angle to each other as to forni a double -re-y fleeting prism, and havin between said surfaces.

' 3. A device for 4use in ,giving a-.signal as to the condition of a liquid level, comprising an elongated light-transmitting body of .transparent material having one end formed'` as a light-collecting and' iconcentrati ng pob n" tion whose shape isl generally convexl .and liiiv ing its other end formed as a prism with at least two 'rellect-ing surfaces arranged to re fleet light' from one surface to the other, 'said prism 'havinga color filter located between im y the said `s urfaces,`and"inthe .path of rays passing from one -surface, to the other-.

4. In a signaling device of the' class de'- scribed, a, bushing arranged to 'beplaced in an opening-in .the container of vthe .iiqnia 12 1 whose level to be gaged, ofa liglit-trans niitting body of transp-arent material secured in the bushing and-:having gas-passages I permit the escape of gas, saidliody having inclined surfaces v arranged to form -a 13 ight rays goin from 95 one reflecting surface to the other, sai prism-*r* being located so :is to receive the light from a color lterso located as to be in the Pat., .of rays passing no said ifsur'feees being 'i-'ranged tofcoftat with through said body, l-aerally fand 'then 11p- 25 "the liquid on the arf-rival of the latter lai'. a.. K predetermined height, and 'a color fil-tery a r ranged between two of the prism surfaces.

5. A liquidlimit level gauge comprising ari-elongated upright .Mighty-transmittingh'aving light-reflecting faces at its lowerend adapted to totally reflect light, transmitted- .I I l downwardly .t'h'ron` h said body, letemlly and then u-,wardhg an embodying a'olored medium m the'path of said rays 'adapted to ab' sorb certain of the rays of white'hght.

6. A liquid limit level gauge compri-sing an elon gated-upright li ght-trans;. itin g body terminating at its lower. end in .acolored tip,

said tip having` faces a'ranged to totally -reterminating at its lower end -in-ran integral.

colored tip, saidtip Having 'faces arrafngedto totally reilect light, transmitted downwardly Wardly.A

8. A liquid limit level gauge 'comprising I lan ,elongated upright lighbtrannmitting body l. 4oy

havin-U a conical lower end ad-aptedto. total- 1 :veiled: light', (Tansinitted downwardly t -rough said bod'v, laterali and then Aupwardly, and embodying a, eo ered: medium 1n the path of Said :rays adapted to absorb cer'- tain o the rays'of white 11 ht.

In testimony whereof, I ave'lijiereumofse't my hand.

GONSTANT J. KRYzANoWsK-.- 

